WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 400: Episode 76: Book of Revelation (2)

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My declaration more or less meant this.

"If you kill us, you'll die too."

The Constellations were shaken at first, then murmured among themselves, and finally fell silent.

Some looked at Agares, while others looked at Metatron.

The ones with the greatest authority on this battlefield.

Yet the decision-makers only remained silent, their expressions unreadable.

When no orders came down, the tension of war unexpectedly began spreading in from the edges of the battlefield.

[Kim Dokja Company. I understand what you're thinking.]

The constellation's declaration came from a Constellation of the nebula Papyrus.

[But we have a debt to settle with you.]

"I wonder which side really owes the other one."

At my reply, the Constellations of Papyrus drew their weapons as one.

[You said you are neither good nor evil. But that means you are both good and evil.]

The nebula Papyrus had chosen evil as its alignment.

[At the very least, I will kill every bastard who chose good.]

It was a wise choice. The chaos score only rose when good fought good, or evil fought evil. Papyrus had found a way to judge us without violating the rules of this battlefield.

[The oldest evil wishes to exclude you.]

[The oldest good wishes to exclude you.]

In this Great war of Angels and Demons, we were nothing more than a virus. Hosts that spread disease and interfered with the system's return to normal.

The waves of good and evil gathering around Papyrus were growing larger.

Constellations who had been burning with hostility toward each other only moments ago were now directing their hatred toward us.

My companions' faces stiffened. Junghyeok shifted his stance.

"Kim Dokja."

Junghyeok must have known it too. Even if the underworld and Asgard stood with us, even if all of Kim Dokja Company's companions gathered together.

If we collided with them head-on, someone on our side would certainly die.

My cognitive ability accelerated, and time seemed to slow slightly.

「They're closing in faster than I expected.」

「Too many Constellations made their decision too quickly.」

「Should I have pushed the chaos score to eighty first?」

Countless sentences flashed through my mind.

I thought of TWSA.

Who could I ask for help to overcome this situation?

My adoptive parents in the underworld?

Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who hadn't entered the battle yet?

Secretive Plotter, the Outer God?

Cheok Junkyung and the Constellations of the Korean Peninsula?

My teachers and Jang Hayoung came to mind as well.

Especially Hayoung.

I desperately needed help, but part of me hoped Hayoung wouldn't come.

[The Fruit of Good and Evil stimulates your guilt.]

Maybe it was responsibility.

The wish that Hayoung, who had been born into this world because of me, wouldn't be swept up in the Scenarios.

The hope that she could live her own story through her own will.

That was why I had mixed feelings about inviting Hayoung into Kim Dokja Company or giving her information about the future.

"Aaaaaah!"

The ranks of Reincarnators facing the enemy at the front line were collapsing.

The Reincarnators caught in the tsunami were torn apart as they screamed.

[Die!]

Han Suyeong wore a tense smile as Constellations and Demon Kings charged at us, spouting stale lines.

"We've won. The side that starts spouting lines like that always dies first."

At Suyeong's joke, my companions forced smiles.

"They're coming."

Their lines might have been stale, but their strength wasn't. Good and evil were among the most clichéd fables in this world, but they were also among the strongest.

The tension crawling across my skin was unlike anything I had felt on any battlefield before.

This was real.

This was the Great war of Angels and Demons, and this was the true power of the Constellations.

Rumble!

The Status of good and evil covered the Grand Battlefield. The tidal wave of Status surged right up to us in an instant.

Three hundred meters.

Two hundred meters.

One hundred meters.

Junghyeok spoke.

"Now."

Everyone knew their role.

Kim Dokja Company released its Status at the same time.

[The narrators of the nebula Kim Dokja Company have gathered.]

[The fable Spring of the Demon Realm begins its story!]

[The fable Holy Flame That Devoured Myth begins its story!]

"Spring of the Demon Realm" wrapped around us as if protecting us, while "Holy Flame That Devoured Myth" roared as though it would tear apart everything approaching us.

It wouldn't be enough to stop them. Even if they were both Great Fables, the years they had accumulated were different.

A vast gap that Kaizenix's fifty years could never bridge.

Even so, this was our story.

Thirty meters.

Jihye, having finished loading the cannons, raised her sword.

With Naval Warfare God's blessing, the dragon-headed figurehead glowed red.

"Wait!"

I stopped Jihye. Her mouth fell open in surprise, and I grabbed the sword wavering in midair. The cannon barrel, just about to fire, drew back its energy.

"What are you doing, ahjussi!"

The other companions were just as surprised by my strange behavior.

We were about to die even if we fought with everything we had, and I was suddenly getting in the way.

Instead of answering, I pointed to the other side.

"Huh?"

With exactly ten meters left between us, the waves of good and evil had stopped as if by magic.

Tzzzt!

It was as if something powerful was controlling them.

I could see the faces of panting Constellations and Demon Kings spitting curses from up close. Some looked dissatisfied, while others looked relieved.

"Why did they suddenly...?"

I soon learned why. One Constellation and one Demon King rose above the crest of the frozen wave.

Metatron and Agares.

For the first time, the two strongest beings on this battlefield issued constellation's declarations.

[All Constellations, cease your hostility and return to your positions!]

[The battle is temporarily suspended.]

I looked up at the sky at the sudden declaration of a truce.

The reason for it was written there.

[The chaos score has exceeded 80.]

[The countdown to destruction has begun.]

* * *

Chaos score: 80.

It had been incredibly close.

Neither the Constellations nor the Demon Kings had saved us.

The ones who had saved us were the least influential people in this fight.

"It seems the Reincarnators at the front clashed with members of their own alignment as they died."

Weak good was still good. Weak evil was still evil.

Good and evil, obsessed with killing us, had underestimated those weak ones. Now, they were moving toward destruction as the price.

[From now on, the chaos score will increase by 1 point every 30 minutes.]

Once the chaos score exceeded eighty, its rate of increase accelerated.

From now on, the chaos score would rise even without any clashes, and it would reach its critical point exactly ten hours later.

In other words, the Apocalypse Dragon's resurrection was guaranteed.

[Ancient Calamities in the deepest depths of hell are delighted.]

The Apocalypse Dragon, one of the worst Calamities in Star Stream history.

Neither good nor evil wanted the Apocalypse Dragon to revive.

If it did, a quarter of Star Stream's Constellations would die. Anyone on this battlefield could be that one in four.

[The battlefield of the Great war of Angels and Demons has been temporarily frozen.]

[The current Representatives of good and evil are holding an emergency conference.]

The message floating in the air was good and evil's desperate struggle to survive somehow.

[You have achieved an accomplishment no one has ever achieved!]

[A Mythical fable is budding within you!]

[This fable will be reflected in your new modifier.]

"Tch, I wanted to see how much stronger I'd gotten."

I stroked Gilyeong's head as he grumbled.

My companions had gathered in the Turtle Dragon's cabin. Huiwon and Shin Yuseong were tending to Hyeongseong, who lay there as though dead, while Jihye looked unconvinced.

"Is this really over? We haven't even fought properly yet."

Despite what she said, Jihye looked relieved.

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire congratulates you on your success.]

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire feels sorry for you.]

"Uriel? You can tell me through a constellation's declaration."

Uriel, crouching in the corner of the cabin, looked at me and lowered her head. Somehow, I thought I understood her feelings a little.

Uriel felt responsible for her nebula attacking Kim Dokja Company and for the things committed by those who called themselves members of the absolute good alignment.

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire looks up at you with tearful eyes.]

"Don't worry, Uriel. I don't hate you. And as for Eden... to be honest, I don't have any particular feelings about it. You've helped us before, too."

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire asks if that is true.]

It was a lie. But even if I showed my hatred now, Uriel would only be hurt.

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire says the Scribe isn't actually such a bad being...]

"I know. I know what kind of Constellation Metatron is. Get some rest."

After saying that, I left the cabin.

[30 minutes have passed.]

[The chaos score has increased by 1.]

[Current chaos score: 82]

A massive gray sphere floated in the sky above the battlefield.

Its interior couldn't be seen. The highest-ranking Demon Kings and Archangels were probably all gathered within it, holding their conference. Good and evil were likely united in cursing Kim Dokja Company and the Demon King of Salvation.

"Kim Dokja."

I turned with a start to see Suyeong looking at me. I spoke first.

"These days, I get scared whenever you call my name. I start wondering if you've caused trouble again."

"You're the one who causes trouble."

Suyeong grumbled, then looked up at the sphere in the air.

"What do you think they're planning?"

"About what?"

"This is going too smoothly."

"They don't want to die either."

"Do you really think that's all there is to it?"

Suyeong narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

[The fable Predictive Plagiarism continues its story.]

Judging from the white fable fragments floating around, Suyeong must have been keeping "Predictive Plagiarism" active since the conference began.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"It's too quiet. No matter how afraid they are of the Apocalypse Dragon... something feels wrong."

A writer's intuition could be sharp.

To be honest, I agreed with Suyeong.

A conference between good and evil. It sounded nice enough. But the Metatron I knew would never retreat at a time like this. His conviction was that any sacrifice was acceptable for the complete realization of absolute good alignment.

I looked at the gray sphere.

"I don't know what they're plotting, but there is a way to find out what will happen next."

"What is it?"

I stared at Suyeong. Her mouth slowly fell open.

"Damn it. Right, we had that option."

Whether it was a conference or a war, it would be decided within the next nine hours.

And there was someone in this world who could read such a near future better than anyone else. We ran to a cabin at the rear of the ship. The person we were looking for was aboard this ship with us.

"Hey, Prophet!"

When we kicked the door open, there was an unexpected visitor.

Junghyeok, his face fierce, was gripping Anna Croft by the collar.

"What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Exactly what I said."

Suyeong shouted in surprise.

"You crazy bastard! What are you doing?"

Junghyeok turned toward us with a blank expression, then let go of Anna's collar.

Anna spotted us and smiled brightly, waving a hand.

"Thank you for saving me. You really are the Demon King of Salvation."

"Well, it wasn't like I was trying to save you."

"You came looking for me for the same reason, didn't you?"

Suyeong and I looked at Junghyeok. Junghyeok stared back at us as if asking what we were looking at. As expected, Junghyeok was quick-witted in matters like this. He had found the solution to this situation faster than we had.

Suyeong ground her teeth in frustration. Junghyeok didn't look victorious at all, though.

Anna explained why.

"To get straight to the point, I couldn't read the future."

"What do you mean?"

Several thoughts flashed through my mind.

Come to think of it, Anna could rarely foresee futures related to me. I remembered that it was because of [The Fourth Wall].

What had she said? That the future was filled with noise, as if someone had scribbled all over it.

But Anna shook her head.

"It's not that the future is full of noise. It can't be read at all. It's not that someone scribbled on the page. The page itself doesn't exist."

Suyeong and I looked at each other.

An ominous feeling slowly crept over us.

"Kim Dokja, this..."

It wasn't that someone had scribbled on the page. The page itself had vanished.

No matter how I thought about it, there was only one kind of future like that.

"No way?"

As if it had been waiting, a message appeared in the air.

[The chaos score has increased by 1.]

[Current chaos score: 83]

"Thirty minutes haven't passed yet?"

"It didn't rise because time passed."

Junghyeok's voice had hardened.

The chaos score had risen even though time hadn't passed. Then there was only one answer.

[Members of the same alignment have clashed!]

[Current chaos score: 84]

Someone was trying to destroy this world.

Footnotes:

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